World Cup woe for Messi and Ronaldo as both bow out goalless in last 16

The world's two most feted players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, bowed out of the World Cup without a goal in the knockout stage.

Messi and Ronaldo have now appeared in the knockout stages of four World Cups and failed to score in any of them.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were knocked out of the World Cup on the same day as Argentina and Portugal came unstuck and the illustrious pair failed to break their knockout-stage goal droughts.

Argentina's 4-3 defeat to France left Messi without a goal in 756 minutes of World Cup knockout football, while Ronaldo failed to find the net as Portugal lost 2-1 to Uruguay, extending his goalless streak outside the group stage to 514 minutes.

Record in knockout stages of the #WorldCup

Messi: 756 minutes, 0 goals
Ronaldo: 514 minutes, 0 goals#ARG#PORpic.twitter.com/nRiDIlrZAL

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 30, 2018

 

Messi provided two assists as Argentina was beaten in a thrilling match in Kazan but he has now appeared in the knockout stages of four World Cups and failed to score in any of them.

Ronaldo was every bit as frustrated as his Barcelona rival after his fruitless attempts to penetrate Uruguay's defence left him without a World Cup knockout stage goal in his career as he prepared to go home from his fourth World Cup at the age of 33.